Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-07-27
AN IOWA TRAGEDY.

A Bloody Affair at Montexuma. in
which Maj. J. NJ. Beardsley is In
terested. STORY Of a Terrible MUIR
der.
Last evening Maj. ]. NJ. Beardsley re>
turned from Montezuma, Iowa, where,
with Hon. W. Il. Redman, he is engaged
as counsel for the defendant in bloody
though apparently greatly aggravated
murder. The Montezuma Republican of
the 10Th inst. describes the affair as fol-
lows:
For the past two years the Orangemen
have been celebrating the anniversary of
the battle of the Boyne at Deep River A
fine natural grove adjoining the town has
been utilized for that purpose. On three
sides of the grove the underbrush and
saplings have formed dense thlcket and
| it was in thick portion of this that a
lot of roughs had congregated with full
supply of whisky which they proceeded
to sell to their thirsty patrons. So care
fully concealed were they that vast
amount of liquor had been disposed OF
before the authorities became aware of
the true condition of affairs. As soon as
the whisky vendors ascertsined that they
were discovered. they very adroit.y chang
ed locations, aud thus kept up the traffic
the greater part of the day. Late ID the
afternoon the amount of drunkenness att
| tracted general attention, and many ex-
pressed fears that a general drunken row
| would follow. In the meantime the exer>
cises were over and those who did not de
sire to remain for the play in the evening
| departed for home. The attraction at
| the hall drew the greater part of the
crowd. leaving behind those who were in
| toxicated and bent on mischief of some
kind. Sitting on chair IN frsnt of
| HINES restaurant, was u Young man re-
siding on the Ridge by the name OF
| Hall On his lap was Samuel Smith. who
had been working for John Irwin. few
miles southeast of Montezuma A little
| bully from near Millersburg. by the name
of Sherman Cover, came up to Smith and
began picking at him. Smith told him
that he did not know him, whereupon
Cover told him that he lived down in his
neighborhood. Smith then asked him
his name. to which he gave vulgar AN
swer. Words were multiplied until Smith
told him that he would take no more of it
and suggested to Cover that if it was
fight he was seeking he could be accom-
modated. When Smith showed fight
Cover backed down. In the meantime a
crowd of roughs from the vicinity of Nils
lersburg were urging Cover on. and when
it was seen that he would not fight,a well
built young man named Irwin Wyant
took up Covers side of the case.
He and Smith came to blows Wysnt
was using knife on Smith and had made
several ugly gashes on him. Getting
weak from the loss uf blood, he told Wy
ant that he had had enough. Wyant did
not let up at this, however and Smith
getting hold of a knife, made one thrust
at him, striking him near the heat, which
produced death in about fifteen minutes
No sooner had the stabblng been done
than officers were on the ground attempt
ing to quell the disturbance, and their
presence no doubt prevented what other
| WISE WOuiu nave Uten GENERAL ugUt
AfteS WyaHt was stabbed, Mr.. Caldwell
had Smith in his care, but in some way
he got loose and went to the home of his
brother, J. n Smith, with whom be made
his home.
| No one seemed to know who the guilty
party was, and his name was not known
until young Hall had been summoned to
appear before the coroner's jury. 1t was
then ascertained who the guilty party
was, and he was arrested early next
morning at the home of his brother and
taken to Deep River He was srraigned
before Justice Iumsn, but waived pre-
liminary examination and was lodged in
Jail here by Sheriff Hogan.
The case is to come up for hearing at
the October term of the district court of
POweshlek county.
From this account it would appear q
clear case of self defense, which. of
course will be the theory of the prison.
er's counsel. Maj. Beardsley has gained
a wide reputation as an attorney in Grim
inal cases, and his skill and competency
| will again be demonstrated in this case